Contributed by: JesseJesse(others by this writer | submit your own)Published on October 13th 2006A week. I listened to it for a week. Not straight, mind you. Just a track here, a track there. A few minutes here, a few sighs there, a couple "Hail Satans," two bike rides to work and twice in the car. And even though the return of Dave Lombardo to the lineup had me excited, the album has me rollin.

A week. I listened to it for a week. Not straight, mind you. Just a track here, a track there. A few minutes here, a few sighs there, a couple "Hail Satans," two bike rides to work and twice in the car. And even though the return of Dave Lombardo to the lineup had me excited, the album has me rolling my eyes and praying for some sort of sweet release. Though Dave's drumming fucking kicks ass.

Slayer has always been a guitar band. Breakneck ultra rhythmic palm-muted chords, screeching riffs and hyper melodic solos played in the wrong key to make them sound like random guitar noise. Dave's job was to keep the time, and I don't blame him for leaving. He's way too good of a drummer to be stuck ripping double-time beats and double bass breakdowns. Any semi-talented chump can handle those stick duties. And while this album gives Dave a better chance to shine, I find it full of way too many open chords and drop-tuned bass notes. Not to mention Tom Araya's vocals turned from tortured howl to grumpy fat guy growl.

Maybe I'm being a little harsh. Reign in Blood came out in 1986. A year after I was born, and exactly 20 years ago. To this day that album tears shit up and gets props like mad ass-hungry whores. I mean it's no Funohuse in `69, but double bass and satanic lyrics during the reign of Reagan is pretty wicked. The band is legendary. They've had a pretty good track record (even with that guy from Testament drumming for them). But to me, Christ Illusion sounds like everyone except good old Dave is tired of being in Slayer.

Kerry King and John Hanneman have broken tons of ground with their guitar work, but Christ Illusion sounds like it was recorded in between two naps. In fact, the intro to the near five-minute long "Catatonic" is so slow and laid back that it's putting me to sleep right now. But maybe I'm just cranky because there aren't any songs around two minutes in length. My colon is just not ready to handle these lengthy four-minute mid-tempo, um, I dunno, love ballads to Satan. Gone is the edge of yesteryear, gone is striking fear into the hearts of the listener (although I hear this band rips shit up with bus seat advertisements). The ultra-slick production makes me bored. I miss Rick Rubin. That man knew how to make something loud and clear and yet still threatening.

But the album isn't full of throwaway snorefests. Track number nine, "Cult" shows that Tommy can still howl and shriek and that all the dudes can brutalize a breakdown as well as speed it up fast enough to make your thrashy little ears bleed. It's easy to see that this was the song they wanted to debut on 6/6/06. The guitars are a little more spastic. The riffs are a little more hectic. The drums, well, the drums keep pace for the whole album. But at least Slayer shows that they can still slay something, even if it is only one song on a ten-track album.

And even if you snored your way through "Flesh Storm," "Catalyst," "Jihad," and "Consfearacy," you'll get your kicks as the album closes with the aforementioned "Cult" and "Supremist." The end track gives us some good old-fashioned speed riffing as well as some rounded out soloing straight outta `86 and a muscular display of the band's new obsession with slightly dynamic breakdowns. I mean, I don't think Public Enemy's gonna sample anything from Christ Illusion, but we're all down with that rap-metal thing anyway now, aren't we? Shit, "She Watch Channel Zero" was a good song though.

In the end, Slayer is Slayer -- an ever-evolving band that's been around for about 25 years and I can't expect them to put out the same album they put out 20 years ago, even though I wish they would have.

Slayer has always been way too simple for my metal tatstes. Give me Rust In Peace or Master of Puppets any day over any album Slayer has done. That includes Reign In Blood, which is good for a couple of listens every now and then.

I strongly disagree with the silly review. This album flat out rules, the only boring song is Catatonic, everything else sounds great, Flesh Storm, Catalyst, Skeleton Christ, Consfearacy and Supremist are by far the best songs on the album and they're as good, if not better, than the old stuff, Reign in Blood included, and by far too.
Btw: First blast beat EVER recorded by Slayer on "Supremist"...you can tell Lombardo's truly back.

The Years Of Decay was a GREAT record, but So Far So Good So What was SHIT.

Anonymous (October 16, 2006)

Rust in Peace isn't even the best Megadeth cd. So Far, So Good...So What! is.

SFSGSW>Peace Sells>Rust In Peace>Killing Is My Business. Then I stopped listening to Megadeth

Besides, Testament The New Order & Overkill Years of Decay are both better than anything the big four (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, & Slayer) ever released.

Anonymous (October 15, 2006)

For some reason that line always makes me laugh.
Okay, we get it Tom, you're "evil" and "scary". Although I heard that Kerry King writes most of the lyrics dealing with religion, and I probably wouldn't pick a fight with that guy.

There's a difference between dissonance as a planned form of music and as a random noodling. Slayer very much knows what they're doing.

Anonymous (October 15, 2006)

Hands down, the worst, most overrated band in history. Playing fast, with no understanding at all of music, is not impressive. I saw a 12 year old kid in guitar center ripping solos just like slayer's once, and all these old guys were all impressed. but when someone wanted to jam with him he just kept ripping, with no rhyme or reason.. this is what slayer does, and they do it badly. Not to mention, aren't you guys a little bit tired of the whole hail satan thing? I mean.. seriously..

I hate metal. Except Tool, Deftones, Early Sabbath etc... you get the picture. "smart" metal, not overly aggresive "meathead" metal.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

The best thing to do is go to k-mart and buy a 10 dollar slip n slide, get a few friends to come over, set it up in your yard, and play Reign In Blood while doing the slip n slide. That's what I did this summer. Score is for that.

I liked this album, but I guess I was probally just happy to hear them play some thrash again.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

And Among The Living owns Rust In Peace.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

Rust In Peace owns Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets...

better riffs, better arrangements, better solos...

word.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

i don't know man. i thought this record was solid. not exceptional - its no seasons, but I don't think the dudes sound tired. I think they sound like slayer. word.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

soooo much better than new Hatebreed.

Anonymous (October 14, 2006)

3 stars is right. I dig Slayer, but it's pathetic that they've fallen back into the same stagnant groove. God Hates Us All was one of their best albums and had a hint of progression, but this shit goes to show that they'll never have anything new to say. Sad, but an accurate review--though the text seems to be more negative than the star rating.

Hey, Jesse is back! What's up, neighbor? Maybe we should name our bowling team Christ Illusion... what do you think?
-Greg

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

Next time, don't waste half your review introducing a band most people have heard of. Much more boring than you claim some of these songs to be.

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

BRING BACK PAUL BOSTAPH!!

Really, Lombardo was a revolutionary drummer, but it was mainly for his speed. Since speed-wise there are a zillion faster drummers than him nowadays he really has nothing to offer than the same ol' mid-tempo kick turns to fast turns to faster kick pattern. Bostaph had a lot more groove going on.

PAUL BABY.. I MISS YOU!

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

'"And even if you snored your way through "Flesh Storm," "Catalyst," "Jihad," and "Consfearacy" '

What the hell is wrong with you? Why even write that?
And why even mention the Stooges in your review about a Slayer album?

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

It's Jeff Hanneman, not John.
And why does everyone all of sudden not like Slayer?

wyzo,
He also produced Beastie Boys and Saul Williams. Not to mention Jay-Z's "99 Problems".
So, he may not be amazing but he has worked with some big talent.
-Dante
P.s. and Slipknot, but we're all allowed to fuck the goat at least once.

How about Wildflowers? That album is one of the best sounding albums of all time. Yeah, Rubin's recorded some crap, but he's also recorded a whole lot of good stuff. And he's recorded it really well. Dude knows how to make an album sound good.

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

Although the death of Corey Lidle is very sad, it would've been much worse if it was Corey Feldman.

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

Jihad is the best song Slayer has ever written.

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

i dont mean to be cynical, but can we collectively stop namedropping reign in blood. Statistically speaking, in the amount of conversations, across the types of people, and out of place contexts the name gets thrown around like its a fucking access card to captain obvious' gleanings from field observations of instantly agreeable statements regarding pop culture, there is no mathematical way that many people actually had the amount of formative experiences they give it credit for.

Every time someone mentions rick rubin, its 'reign in blood' this, 'reign in blood' blah blah. Dudes made shitty records. Unless you are Slayer, or Johnny Cash, Rick Rubin isn't going to make your shitty band sound better. Rick Rubin didn't make a pact with the devil. Maybe like a lesser demon, or a sketchy looking ticket scalper guy who pronounces it 'ticket mayster'.

Slayer made other records, and I don't remember in '92 people so happy about slayer spouting off such a safety record like reign in blood.

i agree, on this cd slayer sound old, tired and far less relevant, but mate this review is utter crap. it's crap in such a nebulous way as to preclude the provision of constructive criticism.
so i recommend just looking at the plethora of other reviews of this cd on the net for advice on how to improve.
good luck

alexwank

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

lillingtons?

Anonymous (October 13, 2006)

fave slayer albs
1.) Reign in Blood
2.) South of heaven
3.) Hell awaits
4.) seasons in the abyss
5.) show no mercy

all the albums after these killers are not bad, but not too good or interesting and this one is a bit boring